IR Insider is a production of NYU's International Relations Society. Our goal is to explain and discuss issues in IR in an engaging and thought-provoking fashion. We are written by students, for students, about issues students care about.

Khamanei promotes Hossein Salami to head of the IRGC in the presence of Iran’s military leadership. Photo: Iran press

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appointed General Hossein Salami to head the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Sunday, April 21. Salami is replacing Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari, who served as head of the IRGC for twelve years. The appointment came weeks after US President Donald Trump designated the IRGC as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO), marking the first time the US has assigned this label to part of another government.

A recently collapsed camel at Giza’s pyramids.. Photo: Heba Khamis/The New York Times

A graphic video released by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) on April 13 shows animals living under harsh and abusive conditions in major Egyptian tourist sites. Camels and horses are shown slipping and stumbling on smooth surfaces; some animals have open wounds because drivers and other workers whip them to make them go faster; other animals collapse due to exhaustion.

Members of the Libyan National Army, which is led by General Khalifa Haftar. Photo: Reuters

The Libyan National Army (LNA), led by General Khalifa Haftar, struck Tripoli’s last remaining civilian airport on Apr. 8 amidst calls for a truce from international actors. Libya’s United Nations-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) immediately called the attack a war crime; Libya’s special representative to the UN, Ghassan Salame, said the attack was a “serious violation of international humanitarian law,” which prohibits attacks against civilian infrastructure.

A photo of Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika from 2012. Photo: Ramzi Boudina/Reuters

When Arab nations came together in Tunisia’s capital for the 30th Arab League summit on March 31, a few nations were notably missing. This included President Abdelaziz Bouteflika of Algeria and President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan, who were both facing calls to resign. Bouteflika submitted his resignation on Apr. 2 after weeks of protests that took place across Algeria.

On March 26, people across Syria protested US President Donald Trump’s declaration of Israeli control of the Golan Heights. On the same day, the 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation condemned Trump’s decision; five EU members from the UN Security Council also issued a joint statement that raises concerns about recognizing illegal annexation, and states that they don’t recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights.

After discovering the Zohr Oil Field in 2015, Egypt became a net exporter of gas, producing about 6.8 billion cubic feet of gas per day. The South Valley Egyptian Petroleum Holding Company recently announced an international bidding round for 10 offshore oil and gas exploration blocks in the Red Sea in order to “achieve the optimum economic utilisation of all potentials and natural resources to contribute to the sustainable development of Egypt.”

A boy stands among the rubble of a Syrian refugee camp that was bulldozed in Zahrani in Lebanon on the weekend of Feb. 23-24th. Photo: Mohammed Zaatari/The Daily Star

The British government’s classification of Hezbollah as a terrorist organization will come into effect on March 1st pending approval by the British parliament. The move places the group’s political members in the same category as Hezbollah’s military wing, which Home Secretary Sajid Javid claims can no longer be distinguished from the main organization of Hezbollah itself.

The two-day Warsaw Conference for peace in the Middle East, which ran from Feb. 13-14, resulted in little progress towards cooperation between Middle Eastern governments. Led by the United States, it appeared as if the conference was an effort to isolate Iran, who was not invited. In response to hostility toward Iran, Lebanon announced a few days prior to the conference that they would not attend.

Children in Rukban camp in southeast Syria, where 40,000 displaced Syrians live and rely on humanitarian aid. Credit: Al Jazeera

In southeast Syria, the 40,000-person Rukban camp— controlled by the United States military — went without an aid delivery for three months, finally receiving it around Feb. 7. Aid comes only twice a year to the residents, 80% of whom are women and children.

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed and hundreds of people participate in the Walk of Tolerance in Abu Dhabi in October. Credit: The National

Announced by UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan in December 2018, the Year of Tolerance is meant to advance “a decades-long dream of creating a tolerant and cohesive society, open to peoples of varying cultures and religions from around the world.”

Iranian Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri and Syrian Prime Minister Imad Khamis walk together after attending an Iranian-Syrian business forum in Damascus.

Credits: Reuters/Omar Sanadiki

On Monday, representatives from Iran and Syria signed a number of agreements and memorandums of understanding concerning the Syrian economy. News of the deals comes at a time when many Iranian government officials have been emphasizing the need for the country to take a leading role in Syria’s economic recovery as the Syrian Civil War appears to be coming to an end.

On Sunday, Dec. 2, Israeli police recommended indicting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for bribery and corruption on suspicion that he had eased regulations to benefit a telecommunications company in exchange for favorable coverage of him and his wife by a news website owned by the firm.

Israel began its military campaign against tunnels along the Lebanese-Israeli border. It is the first time Israel has taken action against these underground passageways, which are suspected to be part of an offensive initiative by the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

The remnants of a factory in Sanaa, Yemen; one of many buildings and infrastructures destroyed in the Yemeni civil war. Credit: Hani Mohammed/Associated Press

Amidst the G-20 summit held in Argentina on Nov. 30, the host country opened an inquiry into criminal charges against Saudi Arabia’s crown prince Mohammed bin Salman. The potential charges include human rights abuses, namely the torture and killing of Jamal Khashoggi, as well as war crimes committed by the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen’s civil war.

On Tuesday, Tunisians publically gathered in the cities of Tunis and Sfax to protest the arrival of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. The protesters showed their disgust at Bin Salman’s alleged involvement in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the atrocities of the Saudi-led war against the Houthis in Yemen, and Saudi Arabia’s efforts to improve relations with Israel at the expense of Palestinians.

On Wednesday, Nov. 14, Israel and Hamas signed an Egypt-brokered ceasefire to end an escalation of violence between the two parties that began on Sunday. After the agreement was signed, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that Hamas “begged for peace”. However, Palestinians in Gaza reportedly celebrated the signing of the ceasefire as a victory.

Violence between Israel and the Palestinians has increased along the Israel-Gaza border since Sunday. The increase in bombings and attacks follows a failed intelligence operation by the Israeli military that resulted in the deaths of several Palestinians, including Nour Baraka, the commander of Hamas’ Qassam Brigade. The latest attacks mark the greatest escalation in violence since 2014, with some officials expressing concern that Israel and Palestine may be on the brink of war.